Hogget ewes sold up to a high of €285/head at the Suffolk-cross Cheviot show and sale held at Blessington Mart on Tuesday (August 10).

The breeding sale was held in conjunction with the Wicklow-based mart’s weekly sale of lambs and ewes with a very strong demand seen, with customers aplenty, according to the mart’s manager, John Doyle.

Looking at the trade for hogget ewes first, prices ranged from €200/head up to a tops, as already mentioned, of €285/head.

Prize winners – Hogget ewes:

  • 1st: Lot 121 sold for €280/head, bred by John Slattery;
  • 2nd: Lot 116 sold for €255/head, bred by James Wilson;
  • 3rd: Lot 106 sold for €285/head, bred by Patrick Kenny.

Moving onto the ewe lambs, again a very good trade was seen. Prices ranged from €150/head up to a high of €252/head.

Prize winners – Ewe lambs:

  • 1st: Lot 462 sold for €252/head, bred by Dermot Corrigan;
  • 2nd: Lot 470 sold for €176/head, bred by Thomas Boylan;
  • 3rd: Lot 469 sold for €170/head, bred by Thomas Jones.

General sale of sheep at Blessington on Tuesday

Alongside the show and sale, the usual sale of lambs and cull ewes took place and was met with a good lively trade, with a good demand seen for fat and store lambs, in particular.

Heavy lambs generally made from €128/head up to a high of €136/head, with factory-type lambs making from €112/head up to a tops of €128/head.

Stores over 40kg traded from €100/head up to €112/head, while store lambs from 35-39/kg sold from €88/head to €103/head.

30-34kg stores made from €65/head up to €88/head.

Once again, heavy ewes were a very good trade and sold to a high of €190/head. Light store ewes sold back to €76/head.